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I have a younger family member facing this dilemma currently; he doesn't want to waste money on college but wants to do something. Here has been my suggestion for him:

While you don't need to go to college to get into my field (IT), you do need to do something. Anyone interested in making a career in IT would be far better off to concentrate on getting a few IT certs (Microsoft or Cisco); they are worth far more than a CS degree. Get an entry level helpdesk gig, work on a few certs, and you can climb fairly easily in the right company. 

easytapper said

jonathco said
I have a younger family member facing this dilemma currently; he doesn't want to waste money on college but wants to do something. Here has been my suggestion for him:

While you don't need to go to college to get into my field (IT), you do need to do something. Anyone interested in making a career in IT would be far better off to concentrate on getting a few IT certs (Microsoft or Cisco); they are worth far more than a CS degree. Get an entry level helpdesk gig, work on a few certs, and you can climb fairly easily in the right company. 

Not saying you're wrong, because I know very little about the industry, but I thought having certs was virtually worthless w/o a degree.  I thought it was kind of a myth that all these tech/trade schools were pimping all these cert courses saying that people would be able to get a job after just getting the certs.

No offense taken ET. 🙂 In practically any other industry besides IT, that is largely true; but in IT, certs are worth their weight in gold. When I say Microsoft or Cisco certs, I am referring to certifications from those companies and by those companies. Definitely not a fly-by-night operation to get a Cisco certification; it takes a ton of training and a fair amount of money (however, must more affordable than 4 years tuition).